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Are You Living Up to Your Clothing?

[465 words] It’s Friday evening a little after sundown when he walks through the front door after a long day at work and announces his arrival, “Hi honey, I’m home.” “What took you so long? Supper’s been ready for an hour,” his wife says rather loudly from the kitchen. He walks in the kitchen and…

Memorial Day

[225 words] Memory is an important part of the human experience. God created our minds in such a way that we can store information regarding past events and recall that information in the future. These facts range from the mundane tasks of life, such as brushing our teeth every day because we learned the necessity…

How The Devil Works

The worst enemy of man is Satan. His goals are wicked; his ways evil. In the Bible the devil is called “a roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8), and “that old serpent” (Revelation 20:2). Do we know how he works? The Bible says he works by: 1. Telling lies (John 8:44). Satan told Adam and Eve,…

Good News and Bad News

There is a lot of bad news out there, as mirrored on TV and the internet. The stock market is in trouble, thousands of American jobs are on the line, and threats of terrorism are shadows in the background. And then there are our own personal pain and problems to contend with. Financial, physical, medical,…

Boost Your Budget by Missing Worship?

If you miss worship on the first day of week does that mean your pocket has a little extra in it to spend the rest of the week? If you answer yes, you have the wrong answer. Giving as we have been prospered means exactly that – giving as we have been prospered; not giving…

Do You Love Me? Feed My Sheep!

“The third time he said to him, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was hurt because asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.’” John 21:17. Peter knew how his sin of denying…

Faith and Optimism

When your cup runs over, is it a blessing, or a mess? Is your glass half full or half empty? Do you make difficulties out of your opportunities, or opportunities out of your difficulties? Are you the kind that complains about the noise when opportunity knocks? Do you claim to be an optimist who doubts…

Are Christians and Non-Christians Equal Before God?

The Bible seems pretty clear about this question. We can read for ourselves the answer. The real question is: Do we accept the answer? The world doesn’t see the difference at times. Sadly, there are some within the church who can’t tell the difference either. Let me start with a scripture. Galatians 6:10 reads, “As…

Ticks and Sin

[289 words] Ever had a tick on you? Ticks are small blood sucking mites. They spend a good bit of time just waiting in bushes, grass and woods for a victim–you! Once you happen by, they jump on and attempt to quickly crawl to a protected spot on your body. Then they sink their mouth…

Reliable

It is probably sound advice that, when a car leaves you stranded, you should return the favor. Few people would keep a car that cannot be depended upon to work as needed. There may be a parable here. Remember that David described himself and his fellow Israelites as “…his people, and the sheep of his…

What Howard Learned in Heartbreak

Howard Rutledge, a United States Air Force pilot, was shot down over North Vietnam during the early stages of the War. He spent several miserable years in the hands of his captors before being released at the war’s conclusion. In his book In the Presence of Mine Enemies, he reflects upon the resources from which…

In Season, Out of Season

On his second missionary journey, Paul came to the city of Philippi. There, while worshiping by the river, he met and baptized Lydia. But not all in Philippi listened to Paul and he was falsely accused of “troubling the city” (Acts 16:20). Beaten and thrown into prison, Paul and Silas did not let persecution stop…

Jesus vs. the Jews

Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus is essentially on trial. The reader is forced to make a decision around every corner about whether he or she accepts the claims of Jesus or the claims of His opponents: the Jews. In the second half of John 10, Jesus is in the midst of one of His…

Unity

God’s word is truth (John 17:17) and when we are all grounded in the truth of God’s word unity will be the result (Ephesians 4:1-15). Truth does not cause division because truth is constant. Division comes when someone blows the winds of false doctrine and topples Christians who are not grounded in truth. They are…

The Five Finger Prayer

The five finger prayer is a great way to teach someone to pray, or a good model for anyone to use to pray. Remember, James 5:13-16 teaches us to pray for one another. First, your thumb is nearest you. Begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. Second, the next finger, is the…

Pray Boldly!

Television interviewer and journalist Larry King describes three farmers who gather daily in a ﬁeld during a horrible drought. The men are down on their knees, looking upward, and praying the skies will open and pour forth a much-needed rain. Unfortunately, the heavens are silent, and the petitioners become discouraged, but they continue to meet…

Making a Difference in the Family

God gave each member of the family a role to play. Each one playing his or her part will make a difference in the family, as can be seen in Paul’s instructions to the saints in Ephesus. Christian wives are to place themselves under the control of their husbands as one means of showing that…

Have You Earned Your Place In Heaven?

After making a whopping $50 million donation to a gun control initiative, and because of his work against obesity and smoking, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was quoted as saying: “I am telling you, if there is a God, when I get to heaven I’m not stopping to be interviewed. I am heading…

Love

A story is told of a young sailor who called his parents from San Diego after the Vietnam Conflict. He said he was bringing his buddy home with him to stay. “You see, mom” he said, “my buddy is pretty badly broken up. He was severely wounded and has only one leg, one arm, and…

Do You Know About The First Valentine?

[297 words] This month we will celebrate the holiday referred to as Valentine’s Day. It is a time when we show others that we care for them. Small gifts of cards, candy, and flowers are part of the tradition. But it might surprise you to find out that this holiday started out as a…

Dare to be Different

I remember a book we used in 4-H some years ago titled, “Dare to be Different.” What a challenge this is to Christians today. Dare to speak out for the Lord; dare to do what is right when society says sin is okay; dare to grow in knowledge of God’s Word – and live by…

Grounded in Truth

Truth is constant. Truth does not vary from one person to the next and it does not change with the circumstance. Truth is like a tree with deep roots. The winds of change may blow strong against it but that tree does not move an inch and when the storm passes by the tree is…

The Search for Spirituality

Spirituality is a highly sought after quality, and has been throughout the ages. In the ancient city of Ephesus, sacred prostitutes served daily in the temple of Diana because it was thought that sexual union brought closer union with the gods. Mothers have thrown their babies into the crocodile-infested Ganges River in the search for…

Who Will Guide You?

Think about a boat on the river with no one in it just going with the waves; side to side, bank to bank, and not knowing where it will end up. It could end up stuck next to the bank with branches all around it and not able to move. It could end up at…

Christians Should Be Industrious

An industrious person is attentive and active. An industrious person is committed and conscientious. An industrious person is dedicated and diligent. An industrious person is focused and faithful. An industrious person is hardworking and helpful. An industrious person is studious and steady. A Christian is an industrious person. Paul exhorted, “not lagging in diligence, fervent…

Finding My Worth in God

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in Iowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” (Phil 2:3 NKJV). One of the greatest struggles for humanity is the discovery of our own value and self-worth. People often feel so very empty and insignificant. The cares of life tend to batter…

Who Are You Living For?

Who is it that we should live life for? Is it to please others, self, or God? Remember what Jesus prayed for in the Garden of Gethsemane: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39b). It was not about…

Frantic? Or Faithful?

When Elijah fled from the threats of Jezebel, he was asking God to take his life (1 Kings 19:4). The Lord then led Elijah to Mount Horeb (Sinai), where Elijah confessed to the Lord that he was the only prophet left. All the others had been killed (1 Kings 19:10). Even though Elijah had just…

Thoughts Not to Entertain

If Paul had thought like some today, he would have written to the Ephesians like this: “Paul the apostle to the saints at Ephesus. Brethren, I rejoiced when I went into the theater in your city to behold the shows. The play of Aristophanes was a magnificent story of a man who overcame poverty and…

Loving Good Works

Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Jesus was teaching during His sermon on the mount that we as Christians need to be seen by others of the world. How and why…

Faithful Fathers

“Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD; and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the…

Is My Child Ready to Be Baptized?

[529 words] Introduction. Parents sometimes feel stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to guiding their children toward becoming a Christian. On one hand, we would never want to cause them to stumble (Matt. 18:6). On the other hand, obedience must be from the heart (Rom. 6:17), so just being able…

Your Obituary Has Not Yet Been Written

Toward the end of the nineteenth century, Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel awoke one morning to read his own obituary in the local newspaper: “Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, who died yesterday, devised a way for more people to be killed in a war than ever before, and he died a very rich man.” Actually,…

Dying Wedding Vows

Remember when “honor and obey” was a standard part of wedding vows? Then, the feminist movement said, “No way will I vow to obey my husband!” Today, you rarely hear a couple using this worthy vow to recognize and accept the roles and relationships God established in marriage (Genesis 2:22-24; 3:16; Ephesians 5:22-24; 1 Peter…

At Your Weakest Moment

[267 words] At Your Weakest Moment … . . . that’s when Satan will tempt you to sin. Our adversary is no fool. He’s not going to waste time and effort by working against your strengths. He will attack you when you are the weakest and where you are most vulnerable. Here’s an example: Someone…

Out of the Mouths of Babes

A family is riding in the family car and an advertisement for a current movie comes on the radio. At the end of the advertisement comes the disclaimer, “Opens Friday in a theater near you! This ﬁlm contains intense thematic material, graphic violence, nudity, strong sexual situations, drug content and course language. May not be…

Growing By Going Beyond

Introduction. We have all seen a toddler crawling around a room, eagerly eying furniture that can be used for leverage when the time comes for “pulling-up.” We have also seen, that toddler reach the pull-up stage and move to walking “with no holds.” We rightly praise and encourage such behavior. We know that growth is…

Commitment

In the book, Driven from Within, Michael Jordan (Hall-of-Fame basketball player) recounts an event from his life that exemplifies just how committed he was to the things that were important to him. Jordan asked to borrow a jacket from a friend before they went out to have dinner together. He was told where he could…

What If Jesus Had Returned Yesterday?

[347 words] The title of this article is a question of no little importance. And when we reflect upon Jesus’ own words that “many” will choose to walk the way of eternal destruction and that “few” will ultimately make it to the gates of Heaven (cf. Matthew 7:13-14), this question becomes even richer in significance.…

Two Mules’ Burdens of Earth

The story of Naaman receiving a cure for leprosy has been well known in the brotherhood, having been taught by just about every preacher. Most of the time, however, one only hears part of the story and that is the command for Naaman to plunge seven times in the Jordan River. There’s more. Naaman made…

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